Menlo Park 9-year-old identified as swimming pool drowning victim

MENLO PARK -- A child who drowned in the swimming pool of a Menlo Park apartment complex was identified by the Santa Clara County coroner's office as 9-year-old Lahee Hong.

Hong was playing at a friend's home in the 300 block of Sharon Park Drive when she fell into the pool about 5 p.m. Tuesday, Menlo Park police spokeswoman Nicole Acker said. The young girl and at least one child were playing ball around the apartment complex pool when the toy escaped them and fell into the water.

Hong reportedly fell into the pool while trying to retrieve the ball, Acker said. She was found on the side of the pool by arriving emergency crews, unconscious and not breathing.

The girl was rushed to Stanford Medical Center after CPR efforts proved unsuccessful, Acker said. Emergency room staff continued to perform CPR efforts, but she was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Besides the children who were playing by the pool, Acker said she did not know if any adults were around at the time of the drowning. It was not immediately known who pulled the child out of the pool, nor how long Hong was underwater before she was found.

Though the drowning remains under investigation, initial reports suggest the death will be ruled accidental, Acker said.